Easy open carton



J. V. MAHON EASY CARTON Filed June 17, 1966 June 13, 1967 Patented June 13, 1967 3,325,081 EASY @PEN CARTQN John V. Mahon, Lansdale, Pa., assigner to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,456

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) ABSTRACT F THE iDllSClLSURE An easy open carton having a tear strip formed in one minor side wall along and about the lapped panels of the manufacturers joint.

This invention relates to a paperboard carton having a -tear strip opener, and more particularly, to an improved manner of forming the tear strip on the manufacturers or lapped joint of the carton.

.Tear strip openers are common ,as a means for opening paperboard cartons. The tear strip is generally formed between a pair of spaced weakened lines made in one of the panels of the carton, and appropriate means at one or both ends of the strip provide initial access to the strip. Conventionally, cartons used for such products as frozen foods or the like, have incorporated a tear strip constructtion in the end closure flaps or panels of the carton which are overlapped for closing the carton.

Difficulty in closing cartons of this style have occurred in that the closure aps, being perforated `with weakened lines, are no longer rigid and cannot be readily folded over by automatic flap folding means, Thus, a common defect occurring in the sealing of the carton of this general style is that the closure flaps do not overlap flush with one another but bulge or buckle across their widths.

This bulge in one or both of the flaps causes improper flap sealing and thus renders a carton defective in both appearance and function.

This invention contemplates forming the tear strip in a paperboard carton in the area of the lapped manufacturers joint of the tubular carton. The end closure flaps formed at the opposite ends of the tubular carton body thus are whole and are not weakened by cut lines being formed therein` The carton thus can be readily formed from the tubular body, as required, by folding the end closure aps over 90 into overlapped relation and securing them together by heat sealing, adhesive or other equivalent means.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide in a tubular carton an improved tear strip opener located along the lapped manufacturers joint.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tubular carton having a tear strip extending across the width of the paperboard blank forming the carton, and having end closure flaps for the tubular carton that are generally free from weakened lines of tear.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood after reviewing the following specification and the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carton incorporating a first embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a blank suitably cut and scored to form the carton disclosed in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially erected carton of the type shown in FIG. 1, the end closure flaps being shown in the opened condition;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view as seen generally from line 4-4 of FIG. 1, except with the tear strip being shown in a partially severed condition; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 3, of a second embodiment of the subject carton construction.

The carton 10 shown is a typical carton for frozen foods or the like and includes opposed top and bottom major wall panels 12 and 14 respectively; opposed front and rear -minor wall panels 16 and 18 respectively; and opposed end minor wall panels 20. The carton walls are hinged together at the adjacent end edges thereof to dene thereby an enclosure as is well known in the art.

A tear strip 24 is defined along: one minor wail panel of the carton between a pair of parallel weakened lines 26 and 27. An additional weakened line 28 is formed in one wall panel adjacent the tear strip wall panel and is immediately adjacent the end of' the tear strip 24 to permit initial opening of the carton by depressing tab 29 within the weakened line 28 and thereafter ripping the exposed end of the tear strip.

A blank 34 is shown in plan View in FIG. 2 which is appropriately cut and scored to dene the carton 10. The blank 34 is generally elongated and includes a pair of spaced score lines 36 and 37 extended parallel to one another along generally opposite longitudinal edges of the blank. Transverse score lines 411, 41, 42 and 43 are extended across the blank between the score lines 36 and 37 and divide the blank into a plurality of panels suitable for forming the various walls of the carton. Thus, the blank is divided into an inner front wall panel 46, the top wall panel 12, the rear wall panel 18, and an outer front wall panel 47. End closure flaps arehinged to the end edges of the respective side wall panel constructions on score lines 36 and 37, and include the inner end wall flaps 5t), 51 and 52 hinged to the opposite end edges of the inner front wall panel 46, the rear panel 18, and the outer front wall panel 47, respectively; and outer end wall flaps 54 and 55 hinged to the opposite end edges of the major wall panels 12 and 14, respectively. The flaps Sil-55 are separated from one another by cut lines from the longitudinal score lines 36 or 37 to the edge of the blank.

The carton is initially formed into a tubular structure by folding the top and inner front wall panel upwardly about the score line 40 (FIG. 2) and thereafter folding the outer front wall panel 47 about the score line 43 to overlap the marginal end edges of the front wall panels. The marginal edges are suitably adhered to one another by appropriate means such as adhesives, heat sealing o1 the like so that the front wall 16 of the carton is double ply and is formed by the marginal end edges of `this manufacturers joint of the carton. The tubular body as thus defined by the lapped and joined inner and outer front wall panels, and the top, rear and `bottom side walls is thus ready to be loaded with product and have the end flaps closed and sealed. The inner end wall flaps are folded inwardly across the open end of the tubular structure first (FIG. 3), and thereafter the outer end `wall flaps 54 and 55 are folded inwardly over the inner end wall flaps and into overlapping relation to one another and are secured in place by heat sealing, adhesives or the like.

The subject invention includes forming the tear strip 24 between the weakened lines 26 and 27 which are 1ocated on the respective front wall panels adjacent the joined lapped manufacturers joint of the tubular structure. Thus, the end iiaps are not weakened to any great extent by lines of weakness formed therein to thereby permit them to be folded over across the open end of the tubular body incident to the loading yand closing of the carton. Accordingly, automatic high speed folding equipment can be used to close the flaps.

The entry opening weakened lines formed in the wall adjacent the tear strip wall are shown more in det-ail in the perspective View of FIG. 3. The lapped inner end wall flaps 511 and 52 are shown in lapped secured relationship. The weakened lines 26 and 27 Iare formed in the inner and outer front wall panels 46 and 47, respectively, and extend to the longitudinal hinged line 37. The first infolded outer lap 54 has a weakened line 57 formed thereaoross extending from the corner edge of the carton in approximate registry with the end edge of the inner wall flaps 50 and 52 to almost the free edge of the respective ap to define a removable tab `section 58. The second folded outer end wall flap 55 has the bell shaped weakened line 28, previously mentioned, which extends to approximately the inward dimension of the inner end wall aps 50 and 52 from the opposite corner edges of the carton. rThis provides that the tabs 29 and 58 can be rather easily separated from the end wall by pressing inwardly of the carton to expose the tear strip 24, w-hich can then be grasped by the thumb and first finger to pull in an outward direction `along the weakened lines 26 and 27 to open the carton y(see FIG. 4).

An alternate embodiment of end closure arrangement is shown in FIG. 5 which additionally includes an alternate initial entry construction to the tear strip. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is a gusset corner construction having converging hinge lines 63 extending across lthe end Wall flaps 50a and 52a from the corners of the carton to a point at the free edge of the flaps todefine thereby inner triangular panel 64 and intermediate triangular web panels 65. The web panels 65 are connected to the outer panels 54a and 55a on score lines 66'. The gusset operates in a well-known manner in that the inner triangular panel 64 is initially folded across the open end of the carton construction, and the intermediate web panels 65 are extended in substantially ush relationship thereto and are sandwiched between the outer end Wall panels 54a and 55a. A weakened line 28a is formed in the top wall panel 12a and is in direct communication with the exposed end edge of the lapped inner and outer front Wall panels 46a land 47a of the tear strip 24a. The tear strip is dened between weakened lines 26a and 27a formed in the end Wall panels.

In both disclosed embodiments, it is noted that the tear :strip is formed along the manufacturers joint of the tubular `carton body and thus leaves unimpaired the end closure iiaps for the tubular body. In such 'a case, the end closure aps can be -readily folded across the open tubular ends Iof the carton With automatic high speed iiap folding equipment without causing lap buckling or de- `fective closure of any kind. Full end closure sealing thus occurs across the end wall panels to provide bot-h irnproved product protection within the carton and appearance of the carton.

What is claimed is:

1. An easy opening carton formed from an elongated unitary blank of foldable paperboard and including:

(a) opposed pairs of major and minor side walls hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure;

(b) yone of said minor side Walls including `a pair of inner 'and outer panels formed from end portions of the blank and hinged to corresponding side edges of respective adjacent major side walls;

(c) the panels of said minor side wall being secured to each other in overlapped relation alo-ng a manufacturers joint to form said tubular structure;

d) a pair of opposed end Walls each including opposed pairs of end closure flaps hinged to co'nresponding ends of said major and minor side walls and adapted to be folded over and secured to each other in overlapped relation to close opposite ends rof said tubular structure;

(e) said panels of said one minor side wall having weakened lines formed therein and spaced from each other to detine a tear strip in said minor side wall along and about said manufacturers joint;

(f) one of said walls adjacent said one minor side wall having a detachable section formed therein contiguous to said tear strip to provide a lead-in to said tear strip to facilitate easy opening of the carton by separation along said weakened lines of said tear strip.

2. A carton according to claim l, wherein the weakened line in each panel of said one minor side wall which form the tear strip is spaced inwardly from the free edge of the panel and in substantial alignment with the free edge of the related panel, and wherein said weakened lines extend substantially across said minor side Wall.

3. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said det-achable section is dened by aligned weakened lines of tear in the end wall flaps which are lhinged to said major side walls.

4. An easy opening carton formed from an elong-ated unitary blank of foldable paperboard and including:

(a) opposed pairs of major and minor side walls hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure;

(b) lone of said minor side walls including a pair of inner and outer panels formed from end portions of the blank and hinged to corresponding side edges of respective adjacent major side walls;

(c) the panels of said one minor side wall being secured to each other in overlapped relation along a manufacturers joint to form said tubular structure;

(d) a pair of opposed end walls',

(e) said panels of said one minor side Wall having weakened lines formed therein and spaced from each other to define a tear strip in said minor side wall along and about said manufacturers joint;

(f) `one of said walls adjacent said one minor side Wall having a detachable section formed therein contiguous to said tear strip to provide a lead-in to said tear strip to facilitate easy opening -of the carton by separation along said weakened lines of said tear strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,828,060 3/1958 Brown 3,004,697 10/ 1961 Stone.

3,214,079 10/ 19615 Andrew et al.

JOSEPH R. LEOLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. M. BOCKENEK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN EASY OPENING CARTON FORMED FROM AN ELONGATED UNITARY BLANK OF FOLDABLE PAPERBOARD AND INCLUDING: (A) OPPOSED PAIRS OF MAJOR AND MINOR SIDE WALLS HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED TO FORM A TUBULAR STRCTURE; (B) ONE OF SAID MINOR SIDE WALLS INCLUDING A PAIR OF INNER AND OUTER PANELS FORMED FROM END PORTIONS OF THE BLANK AND HINGED TO CORRESPONDING SIDE EDGES OF RESPECTIVE ADJACENT MAJOR SIDE WALLS; (C) THE PANELS OF SAID MINOR SIDE WALL BEING SECURED TO EACH OTHER IN OVERLAPPED RELATION ALONG A MANU FACTURER''S JOINT TO FORM SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (D) A PAIR OF OPPOSED END WALLS EACH INCLUDING OPPOSED PAIRS OF END CLOSURE FLAPS HINGED TO CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID MAJOR AND MINOR SIDE WALLS AND ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED OVER AND SECURED TO EACH OTHER IN OVERLAPPED RELATION TO CLOSE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (E) SAID PANELS OF SAID ONE MINOR SIDE WALL HAVING WEAKENED LINES FORMED THEREIN AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO DEFINE A TEAR STRIP IN SAID MINOR SIDE WALL ALONG AND ABOUT SAID MANUFACTURER''S JOINT; (F) ONE OF SAID WALLS ADJACENT SAID ONE MINOR SIDE WALL HAVING A DETACHABLE SECTION FORMED THEREIN CONTIGUOUS TO SAID TEAR STRIP TO PROVIDE A LEAD-IN TO SAID TEAR STRIP TO FACILITATE EASY OPENING OF THE CARTON BY SEP ARATION ALONG SAID WEAKENED LINES OF SAID TEAR STRIP. 